Friday, March 16, 2012

Wine & Cheese Double Feature

2009 Gramona Gessami

The 2009 vintage is an absolutely beautiful blend of Muscat of Alexandria, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat de Fontignac. The nose is white rose and jasmine and extremely fresh. I could smell this wine all day if I didn’t have responsibilities. It tastes great too with a lush, yet mild mouthfeel. Ronnie GrantPrice is $16.99 per bottle

2008 Ravines Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes, New YorkThis is Cabernet Franc that really emphasizes the Franc part of the varietal! Bright, juicy cherry fruit full of savory herbal notes and a refreshing crispness, with enough sap and length to keep you coming back for another sip….and another. Any wine lover who gravitates toward French Loire reds will love this wine, and American wine lovers will appreciate the distinctiveness and flat-out deliciousness of this terrific wine from upstate New York! Bennett TraubPrice is $19.99 per bottle

Ewephoria Dutch Sheep’s Milk Cheese, HollandA relative newcomer in the world of fine cheese and the brainchild of a Seattle based cheese importer that thought Americans might prefer a Gouda styled cheese that was maybe a bit sweeter and less acidic than the traditional Dutch versions. He hooked up with a farmer in Holland and together they came up with this stunner of a cheese, made from sheep that, as the farmer’s wife likes to say, “Eat better than my children”. I have to admit that I was a little concerned that the cheese might be too sweet when I read that but the truth is it is far less sweet than the 5 Year Gouda, (nicknamed The Candy Cheese around these parts) we already stock and even less sweet than the Old Amsterdam we used to carry. Aged from 9-12 months and made with the same highly protected starter used to make traditional Gouda, the flavor of this glorious cheese is distinctively Gouda-like but the use of sheep’s milk adds a beautifully balancing saltiness which makes this cheese painfully addictive.Available In-Store Only

The PairingNow the fact that we are featuring two wines here should elude to the wine friendliness of the Ewephoria. The fact that there is one red and one white should also let you know just how uniquely versatile this craveable cheese really is. The gorgeous floral and tropical notes on the Gramona Gessami heighten the butterscotch notes in the cheese and the acidity leaves your mouth crisp and ready for another sip, and the dark fruit, earthy and mineral flavor in the Ravines Cabernet Franc seem to almost elevate the fierce creaminess of the Ewephoria, making it almost pudding or custardy on the palate. Either way you go, red or white, this is a must-try cheese.

I was running short on time when I "wrote" this for the shop, that's why I just used Bennett's tasting notes rather than tell the story of you pouring that wine for me, me sticking my nose deep in the glass, my eyes lighting up and whispering to you, "Oh, it smells like Chinon". But I won't spill either....unless we meet again and then, and only then will I tel everyone that you sir are the reason we now stock that glorious wine. So there.

Thomas,Now that's depressing. Not as depressing as looking over other wine blogs today however. What-the-fuck?! Are there seriously only 3 topics left to talk about? Think I'm gonna hang out with chick bloggers and my customers and watch the spectacle. Ughhhh

Thomas,Oh don't worry, no one took me seriously to begin with, New York wines aint gonna taint my rep.

Yeah, the wine blog world is becoming a crusty and bitchy place full of arguments that no one will ever win, chases "normal" people away from wine and basically makes those "In the know" look like blustery opinionated asshats with no sense of reason or acceptance. Pretty fucking ugly....think I'm going to start blogging about cats.

Thomas,I guess it was bound to happen, just wish it wasn't so snide. Even the people I really like can't seem to defend their position, or the wines they like without taking swipes and using derogatory terms to describe the wines on the other side. Guess I've just grown weary, (and way fucking bored) with the whining and repetitive topics. I started to write a post about it last night be realized that if I did then I was basically doing the same shit. I deleted the piece, turned on some music and tasted through some sample bottles I was sent home with. A night spent with Dave Matthews, white Burgundy and Jura Chardonnay is far more inspiring than listening to pointless arguments about points, critics and natural wines. But all that being said, those posts seem to be what the masses want and what they respond to. I wrote the same crap like two years ago, just sad to see that we haven't moved forward much and unlike the masses or those slow moving cars, I'm looking away from this train wreck.

Thomas,I don't mind the narcissism at all, kind of what blogging is about no? Fuck, if I took out all the posts that are about me I'd be left with like seven. I admit that I kind of get off on the whole voyeuristic part of blogging, getting to see into people's lives, feelings and at times, secret thoughts. Feels intimate to me in some way, and that's what I've always tried to do here. Just thinking people have seen quite enough of me now, can't say as I blame them!

I'm late to the show so I don't feel like I've "seen enough of you", and I'm not sure that I would likely come to that conclusion anyway. I've gotten a sense through several of your last postings that you are tired and, honestly, given the vulnerability that you pour into your posts,that's understandable.

The "same old, same old" is not what your posts are about, as near as I can tell, and I again acknowledge that I've not been with you through the 500+ plus posts that constitute your legacy. You don't wallow in those three or four things that ---yawn ----dominate most of the wine blogs. You write with emotion and bring the passion and sensuality that makes your writing riveting and addictive and calls to my thirty odd year relationship with wine, so that's why I'm here. You are still relevant and vibrant to me. And besides, you answer all those who respond to you and that blows me away, because many of those who "tag" you and have lofty degrees and pedigrees can't be bothered by us "commoners". But you treat each of us with respect and I can't thank you enough for considering my little responses with such kindness and gentility.

I'm not sure of blog etiquette, so I don't always add something to each thing that you write, but I read them all with relish. So, as long as you can stomach this roller coaster, I'm strapped in. Color me smitten.

Winey, So you know that moment when you feel yourself falling completely in love? Just had that, because of You. Are there words enough to convey gratitude on that big a scale? If there are, I don't have them. You take my breath away and in your sweet comments I find this thing in me, this drive...this desire to keep splaying my heart, keep standing here wide open, just in case...someone like you comes around. You inspire me to be a better woman, to write something that might, just might, touch people. You make me grateful for this venue and flood me with wonder as to how I was lucky enough to find You.

Thank you. I cannot possibly thank you enough but, know that your sweet words lift me, hold me, make me strive to be better. Keep going. Damn, I wish i could kiss you right now. Until then, just know that you sir keep me floating.